Email #7 (Tamale-Lamashigu) This Mission is No Joke!

So today I will be sending short emails personnally to everyone so sorry if this is not lengthy.

Thank you for your words of encouragement because this mission is not as fun and happy as I make it sound. One missionary that was in the MTC with me has already dropped out and flown home.  This mission is no joke and it is super hard. I might joke about the goats and the people but really it is super hard. Every day we are out from 1-8 tracting and teaching in 100+ weather. There are no such things as clouds here so we just endure through it all. We walk from 10-25 miles each day and have little to no water.  The only time we drink water is if we are in the apartment because we are not allowed to carry backpacks at all, but it does make the work much sweeter when someone is actually interested in listening to the gospel and cares enough to give us a little water. There is this one guy - he is christian and is educated. We taught him from 6:00 pm-8 about the restoration and about baptism.  I cannot tell you how strong the spirit was because I started baring my testimony and using scriptures and all this stuff that I did not know was in me.  I testify that it was not me saying these things, but it was the spirit guiding my words so that this guy could understand the importance.  At the end of the lesson and my testimony, this guy who is about 35, said to me "I don't know what to say.  I am just impressed."  He was freaking impressed with an 18 year old new beginner missionary!!  Whoop Whoop talk about the spirit punching him in the face!  But ya it was cool to have that experience. Oh, and I got my first FM or, in other words, free meal. It was just rice and beans and a little sauce and a guinea fowl.  It was pretty nice. Time is not on my side today so please update me next week with the Broncos score and highlights! I love you guys soooo much and miss you so very much! I dream about Rexburg and home and sometimes it can be hard to refocus on mission work, but thank you for supporting me and helping me make this decision that will bless my life and more importantly bless the lives of many others in Ghana.

Love,

Elder Cornelius

 

Email #6 (Tamale-Lamashigu) 2nd P-Day and I'm still Alive. Ghana Bro!

Hello to you all back home or shall I say Anula! haha.  I am slowly learning the language here but it is not Twi. It is a tribal language, but I don't know the name. 

I will now answer some questions that you all have: 

Tell me your daily schedule - Look in the Missionary handbook or google lds missionary handbook and look at the schedule. I wake up at 6:30 and go to bed whenever I want, usually 10:30 or later, if i am writing in my journal or letters.

Email #5 (Tamale-Lamashigu) First Letter from Mission Field

Dear Everyone, 

It is so crazy to hear about what has been going on back home and in people lives. Seems like I did make an impact on people wherever I went haha. But I am grateful for you letters and for the time spent to talk to me. Whenever I read an email from you, I always start smiling and laughing and everyone around keeps staring at me but whatever. 

So this first week has been absolutely CRAZY!!! I have seen so much and have heard so much that I cant do anything but just accept it and move on. I also want to say that this letter is going to have errors and is going to be short because I would like to upload photos and I have to email my mission president. 

Email #4 (MTC) Leaving the MTC

I'm leaving the MTC at 10:00 am .... the time is passing so slow. The current time is 9:34 am here in Accra, Ghana. I cannot believe that I will have a real companion so soon and that I will be doing real missionary work in less than 4 hours.

It is a 40 minute plane ride to Kumasi, where I will finally meet my mission president. It is getting real now!   

I'm am every excited and nervous at the same time...

Love,

Elder Cornelius

Email #3 (MTC) Photos

Email #2 (MTC) One Week in the MTC

So it is official! I am 7 days into the MTC Training!! You guys would not believe how much of a change this is to me and my life! I am glad that I chose to make this decision to serve the Lord and to dedicate myself and time to Him.

MTC:

I will try to be as positive as I can but I will not lie to you guys.  The food is very harsh here. All they eat is rice, chicken, coleslaw, fish, and bread. The fish is literally caught, put on a pan and thrown in the oven. And when they cut it, they do not remove the scales or the eyes or anything.  I do like the breakfast though, which

Email #1 (MTC) I'm Safe!

Mom,

This would be your son. I am writing you from the MTC to tell you that I have arrived safely and that it is sooo hot here! In New York, I met up with 6 other american missionaries and we flew to Accra. Once we landed in Accra, everything was different! I stepped out of the plane and within seconds, I was sweating. We cleared customs and met up with the MTC workers and some missionaries and were only asked about 5 times for money. Then, we waited for other missionaries from different countries to arrive at the airport. Ends up we packed this tiny bus with 15 missionaries and drove to the MTC. Now let me tell you about the drive

December 26, 2013 Travel to MTC in Ghana

October 25, 2013 "Called to Serve" Closet at Ferrells

September 21, 2013 Mission Call - Finally!